Willis t



(No Model.)

W. T. HINE. WHIPFLETRBE COUPLING. Pat'fit'edfi'a'n. 15, 1884.

N. PETERS. PhuluLllhugmphcr, Washmglnn. 04c

IlNirnn Snares tries.

FArnN'r WILLIS T. HINE, OF VEST MEREDITH, NEWV YORK.

WHlFFLETREE-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 292,012, dated January 15, 1884.

Application filed October 2, 1883.

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIs T. HINE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vest Meredith, in the county of Delaware and State of New York, have invented a new and useful WVhiffletree-Coupling, of which the following, taken in connection with the annexed drawings and letters of reference marked thereon, is a specification.

My invention relates to a novel and useful construction of a clip coupling-plate adapted to be fastened to either the evener or crossbar of vehicles, and for holding the center bolt of the whiffletree; also, to a novel construction of the whiffletree coupling-plate, and also to certain novel combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and specifically claimed.

By my invention the cross-bar and whiffletree are saved from the liability of splitting, a more effective and durable coupling secured, and rattling and change of the whiftletree from a proper position prevented.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical central transverse section through a whiffiet-ree, evener, and a coupling of my improved construction. Fig. 2 is a front view of my whit'fletree-coupling and portions of a whiffletree and evener to which it is attached; and Fig. 3 is a horizontal section in the line a; a: of Fig. 1, looking upward, showing a bottom view of the coupling-plate of the whiffletree and a section of the center bolt, its nut, and

- the annular bearing portions of clip device of evener and the coupling-plate of the whiffletree.

A represents awhiffletree, B an evener, G a lower clip coupling-plate, and D an upper staying coupling-plate. The lower clip coupling-plate, O, has a circular flat horizontal body portion, 0, and an upwardly-projecting cylindrical bearing, 0, with a central hole, a", through it, and with a socket, c, shaped to hold a nut, e, on the under side, as shown. The plate 0 is also formed with clip-extensions c, of ordinary construction, which are connected by a yoke, F, having perforated lugs f, through which latter the screw ends of the clip-extensions c are passed. WVhen the clip-plate O is to be fastened to the evener B,

the nut e is inserted into the socket 0 the clipextensions 0' passed down against the front (No model.)

and rear of the evener, and the yoke Fslipped up over the ends of said extensions and fast ened thereon by means of nuts 0 The lugs f are provided with flat surfaces f, which coincide with the shape of the evener, and thus take avery firm hold upon the evener and prevent diagonal displacement of the clamp. The yokeFis also provided with a loop, f to which a strap or chain may be attached and used for connecting the yoke with the cross -bar of tongue, or with the axle; and when so connected the whiffletree will be prevented from detaching itself and allowing the tongue to drop down if the evener becomes broken. The clip coupling-plate O is also provided with a semicircular upper extension or guard, c, which is formed with the body portion 0, and between this extension or guard and the body 0 the coupling-plate D and the whiffletree are placed.

Upon the cylindrical bearing 0 of clip-plate O the upper coupling-plate, D,vibrates. This plate consists of a large horizontal portion, (1, having a cylindrical rim, 01, two horizontal arms, d, and two vertical projections, d",which fletree. The portion (2 of coupling-plate D rests upon the bearing 0, and the rim d is snugly fitted around the same. The whiffletree A is placed upon the portion (2, between the projections (Z and upon the arms (i to which latter it is fastened by means of screws, as shown. A central bearing-plate, G, is shown fastened to the top of the whit'fietree, to prevent undue wear between it and the guard 0; but this plate might be dispensed with without departing from my invention, essentially. Through the upper end of the extension or guard c, the plate G, the center of the whittletree, and the portions 0 and (l of the couplingportions CD, a bolt, E, is passed, its head resting upon the extension or guard c, and its threaded end occupying a place in the socket 0 being screwed into the nut c by turning it downward therein.

With my construction of coupling, I avoid weakening the evener, as the bolt E does not pass through it, as in some constructions. I also avoid weakening and splitting the whittletree and evener by strain and wear against the bolt E, as the said wear and strain come upon extend up to near the top surface of the whifthe bearing portions 0 d d of the coupling in such a manner as to prevent the forward canting and rattling noise experienced with whiffletree -couplings of ordinary construction. This construction of bearing admits of a smaller and lighter bolt being used, and thus the whiffletree will have a smaller hole through it, and not be so liable to split,while any tendency to split the whifiletree is counteracted by the laterally staying and binding projections (1 and of the evener by the clip-extensions c,- and by having the loop f formed on the yoke F, I avoid the necessity of fastening it directly to the evener by passing abolt or shank through the wood, and thus weakening it, while such loop serves as asafety device in case of a broken evener.

Prior to my invention means have been devised for keeping the center bolt above the evener. as is instanced in Letters Patent No. 138,701; but my improvement greatly simplifies the means heretofore employed, and at the same time gives great strength to both the whiffletree and evener or cross-bar without the necessity of passing the bolt down through both the whiiiietree andevener or cross-bar in the manner shown in Letters Patent No. 255.705.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The coupling for \vhiiiletrecs, comprising the perforated plate D, having horizontal portion 0", stay and binding projections (1, arms (1 and an annular rim, d, the perforated clipplate G, having horizontal portion 0, cylindrical socketed bearing a a, screw-threaded clip-extensions a, with nuts 0 extension or guard c, yoke F, and bolt E, with nut a, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A whiil'letrce coupling-plate, D, having the front and rear staying and binding projections, (1, arms (V, and an annular socket-rim, d, in combination with a whiffletree, A, having a passage through it, through which the coupling-bolt E can be passed, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The clip coupling-plate 0, formed with front and rear clip'extensions, c", socketed bearing 0 0*, horizontal portion 0, extension bolt staying strap or guard c, evener or crossbar B, and yoke F, in combination with whit fietree A and the center bolt, E, with nut e on its end, said bolt being passed through the whiffletree and fastened by the single nut e in the socket of plate 0 above the cross-bar 13, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination of a center bolt, E, having a single fastening-nut, c, on its end above the evener or cross-barB, and the bearing cd of the clip coupling plate C, and the clip whiffletree coupling-plate D, having nut-socket 12, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. The clip ooupling-plate C of the evener or cross-bar, having horizontal portion 0, screwthreaded front and rear binding-extensions, c, nut-socket c, and a perforated extension or guard, c, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. In awhiflletree-coupling,the combination of the center bolt, E, above the evener or crossbar, the clip coupling-plate 0, having a hearing, 0, and nut-socket c, and the coupling-plate D, having the bearing portions (2 cl, substan tially as and for the purpose described.

7. The clip coupling-plate G,havingasocket, 0 provided with a nut, e, and extension or guard c", in combination with the couplingplate D and the bolt E, passed through the extension or guard c, and entered into the nut 6 above the evener or cross-bar, substantially as and for the purpose described.

WILLIS T. l-IINE.

WVitnesses:

O. H. Bunny, 1%. S. WHIT 

